Le Hussard (1848) - My First Wooden Ship Model

Le Hussard was a French naval vessel launched in 1848, a period of rapid political and technological change in France. Built during the era when sail-powered warships were reaching their final refinement, Le Hussard represents the transitional age just before steam power and ironclads began to dominate naval warfare. Ships of this type were typically used for patrol, escort, training, and showing the flag in coastal and colonial waters, relying on speed, maneuverability, and skilled seamanship rather than heavy armor or armament.

As a sailing vessel of the mid-19th century, Le Hussard reflects the culmination of centuries of wooden shipbuilding knowledge - complex hull framing, carefully planked decks, and intricate standing and running rigging that demanded constant maintenance and highly trained crews. By the time steam propulsion became widespread only a few decades later, ships like Le Hussard had effectively reached the end of a long naval tradition.

This plank-on-frame wooden ship model is based on the Artesania Latina kit and was built in the early 1980s, making it the first wooden ship model I ever completed. The project marked my introduction to traditional ship modeling techniques, including frame alignment, hull planking, deck construction, and basic rigging. While it clearly reflects the learning curve of an early build, it remains a meaningful milestone in my modeling journey.

Remarkably, the model has survived several major cross-state moves over the decades largely intact—a testament both to careful packing and a bit of luck. Today it serves not only as a representation of a 19th-century sailing vessel, but also as a personal reminder of where my interest in detailed, hands-on craftsmanship first began.

Midwest’s Dinghy – A Working Boat of Everyday Life

Small wooden dinghies like this were once a common and essential sight across the lakes, rivers, and backwaters. Long before aluminum hulls and fiberglass became standard, local boatbuilders produced simple, practical wooden boats designed for fishing, short transport, and everyday utility. These boats were built to be light, stable, easy to repair, and capable of being hauled up on shore or loaded onto a trailer without much effort.

Through the world’s waterways, dinghies in one form or another, were often used on inland lakes, farm ponds, and slow-moving rivers, serving fishermen, hunters, and landowners rather than commercial sailors. Construction was typically straightforward: lapstrake or plank-on-frame hulls, basic seating, and minimal hardware. Durability mattered more than refinement, and many of these boats were repaired repeatedly over their lifetimes with whatever materials were available.

This wooden dinghy model reflects that utilitarian heritage. The clean interior layout, exposed planking, and restrained finish are meant to capture the honest, workmanlike character of a real small boat rather than a decorative or yacht-style craft. The scratch-built fishing rods, reels, and tackle box reinforce the idea of a boat that is actively used rather than displayed.

Rather than representing a specific named vessel, this model is intended as a snapshot of everyday boating culture—a quiet moment on the water where function, simplicity, and familiarity mattered more than speed or prestige.

Maine Peapod - The Workhorse of the Lobster Coast

The Maine peapod is one of the most distinctive and practical small working boats ever developed along the New England coast. Originating in the mid-to-late 19th century, the peapod was designed specifically for the harsh, rocky shoreline and unpredictable conditions of coastal Maine. Its defining feature is the double-ended, sharply tapered hull, which allowed the boat to move efficiently through chop while remaining highly maneuverable in tight spaces.

Unlike broader-beamed workboats, the peapod could slip between rocks, navigate narrow coves, and land directly on uneven shorelines without risking serious damage. This made it especially valuable to lobster fishermen who often worked close to shore, setting and hauling traps in areas larger boats simply could not reach. The narrow beam and fine ends also reduced pounding in rough water, an important consideration in cold North Atlantic seas.

Peapods were typically rowed or sailed and were light enough to be hauled out by hand. Their construction favored simplicity and durability: plank-on-frame wooden hulls, minimal decking, and interiors arranged purely for work. Every feature served a purpose, from the open layout for trap handling to the low freeboard that made hauling gear easier.

This model reflects that utilitarian heritage. The tapered hull shape, simple interior, lobster trap, buoy, and coiled line represent the tools of a fisherman whose livelihood depended on reliability rather than comfort. Rather than depicting a specific named vessel, this build captures the everyday reality of Maine’s small-scale lobster industry before engines and modern materials transformed coastal fishing.

The Maine peapod stands as a reminder that some of the most successful boat designs were born not from theory or luxury, but from generations of hard-earned experience working the sea.

Seabright Dory - America’s Surf Lifesaver

The Seabright dory lifeboat is closely tied to the history of coastal rescue along the eastern seaboard of the United States, particularly New Jersey and the Mid-Atlantic region. Developed in the late 19th century, this distinctive type of dory was designed specifically for surf rescue operations, where boats had to be launched directly from beaches into heavy breakers.

Unlike traditional dories, the Seabright dory featured a narrow, double-ended hull with pronounced rocker and lapstrake (clinker) construction. This combination allowed the boat to rise quickly over breaking waves, shed water efficiently, and remain controllable in turbulent surf conditions. The lightweight wooden hull made it possible for lifeguards or surfmen to drag the boat across sand and launch rapidly when lives were at stake.

Seabright dories were widely used by lifesaving stations and beach patrols well into the early 20th century. Crews often rowed directly into dangerous seas, timing their launches between waves, relying entirely on skill, strength, and intimate knowledge of the surf. These boats were never about comfort or speed—every design decision prioritized stability, quick response, and survivability in the worst conditions.

As rescue technology advanced, wooden Seabright dories were gradually replaced by powered and later fiberglass craft. However, the basic hull form proved so effective that modern lifeguard boats still retain many of the same design principles first established by these early surf lifeboats.

This model represents the classic wooden Seabright dory in its working form: simple, purposeful, and ready for service. The lapstrake hull, open interior, and oars reflect a time when rescue depended not on engines or electronics, but on courage, teamwork, and a boat designed to survive the surf alongside its crew.

The Maus Project - When Armor Outgrew Reality

The Panzerkampfwagen VIII Maus represents the absolute extreme of German armored vehicle design during the final years of World War II. Conceived as a breakthrough super-heavy tank, Maus was intended to be virtually impervious to Allied anti-tank weapons, mounting massive armor thickness and an equally formidable main gun. At approximately 188 tons, it remains the heaviest fully enclosed armored fighting vehicle ever constructed.

Only two prototypes were completed before the war ended. Even during testing, Maus proved to be deeply impractical. Its immense weight made conventional bridge crossings impossible, forcing engineers to propose river crossings by submersion using snorkel equipment and power supplied by another Maus on the opposite bank. Mechanical reliability, fuel consumption, and mobility were constant problems, and the vehicle never entered combat.

By 1945, advancing Soviet forces captured both prototypes at the Kummersdorf proving grounds. One hull and one turret were later combined by the Soviets into a single vehicle, which survives today at the Kubinka Tank Museum in Russia. Maus stands as a symbol of late-war German engineering priorities—extraordinary technical ambition applied too late, to a battlefield that no longer allowed such excess.

This model depicts the Maus as it might have appeared on the battlefield late in the war. Built from the Dragon 1/35 scale kit, it incorporates photo-etched details and extensive weathering to suggest a vehicle that spent some of its time on the battlefield before the wars end. The heavy surface wear, oxidized finishes, and muted camouflage reflect both the scale of the machine and the reality of its fate: an engineering marvel that never found a practical role in combat although as represented here, an intriguing concept had it actually been pushed into service.

WWI Renault FT Light Tank – Birth of the Modern Tank

The French Renault FT was one of the most important armored vehicles of World War I and is widely regarded as the first “modern” tank. Introduced in 1917, the FT established a layout that would become the standard for tanks worldwide: a fully rotating turret on top, the engine mounted in the rear, and the driver positioned at the front. This configuration remains the basic tank design more than a century later.

Unlike the large, cumbersome heavy tanks that preceded it, the Renault FT was small, relatively simple, and could be produced in large numbers. Over 3,000 were built by the end of the war, serving with French forces and later with the armies of many other nations. The FT saw extensive combat in 1918, where its mobility and flexibility proved far more effective in supporting infantry than earlier heavy designs. Its influence extended well beyond WWI, with some examples still in service into the early years of World War II.

This model represents the Renault FT in 1/35 scale, built from the Meng kit as a straightforward, out-of-the-box assembly. The finish reflects the distinctive multi-color camouflage used by French tanks during the later stages of the Great War. While modest in size, both the real vehicle and this model represent a major turning point in military history—the moment when the tank evolved from experimental curiosity into a practical and enduring weapon of war.

Germany’s Jagdpanther - A Near-Perfect Tank Destroyer

The Jagdpanther is widely regarded as the most effective tank destroyer fielded by Germany during World War II. Entering service in 1944, it combined the powerful 8.8 cm Pak 43 gun—capable of defeating any Allied tank at long range—with the excellent mobility and sloped armor of the Panther chassis. Unlike heavier German designs that suffered from mechanical complexity, the Jagdpanther struck an unusually effective balance between firepower, protection, and reliability.

Designed for ambush warfare, the Jagdpanther excelled in defensive roles. Its low silhouette, thick sloped frontal armor, and devastating main gun made it particularly lethal when engaging Allied armor from concealed positions. Crews could destroy enemy tanks well beyond the effective range of most Allied guns, often before being detected. However, like many late-war German vehicles, its impact was limited by low production numbers, fuel shortages, and a lack of trained crews. Fewer than 420 were built before the war ended.

This 1/35 scale model represents the Jagdpanther as built by Meng. The kit is largely stock, with the exception of the gun port chain detail, and consists of over 1,400 parts, reflecting the complexity of the real vehicle. The finish and weathering aim to capture a late-war machine in active service, where even Germany’s best armored designs were pushed hard under increasingly difficult conditions.

The Jagdpanther stands as a reminder that technical excellence alone could not alter the course of the war - but it remains one of the most respected and admired armored fighting vehicles ever produced.

1919 Christie Medium Tank – An Idea Ahead of Its Time

This model represents Walter Christie’s 1919 medium tank prototype, an ambitious post–World War I design created at a time when armored warfare was still in its infancy. Christie was an American engineer whose ideas often ran far ahead of contemporary military thinking. His designs emphasized speed, mobility, and mechanical innovation rather than the slow, heavily armored trench-crossing tanks that had dominated the Great War.

The 1919 prototype was intended to demonstrate a new direction for armored vehicles, but it ultimately failed U.S. Army testing. Concerns over reliability, unconventional design choices, and Christie’s difficult relationship with military authorities prevented the vehicle from being adopted. As a result, the tank never entered production and remained a developmental dead end in American service.

Ironically, while the U.S. military rejected Christie’s concepts, foreign powers did not. Christie’s suspension and mobility ideas would later influence Soviet armored development, directly contributing to the high-speed BT series and, ultimately, the legendary T-34. In this sense, the 1919 prototype represents not a failure, but the beginning of a technological lineage that reshaped modern armored warfare.

This is a 1/35 scale Vargas resin model, depicting the vehicle as it appeared during early testing. The finish reflects a utilitarian prototype rather than a combat vehicle, emphasizing the experimental nature of Christie’s work during this transitional period in tank design history.

Before the Doughboys Had Tanks: The Holt Gas-Electric Prototype

This model represents the Holt Gas-Electric tank, the first tank prototype built in the United States during World War I. Developed by the Holt Manufacturing Company—best known at the time for agricultural tractors and later to become part of Caterpillar—the design was an early attempt to adapt American industrial know-how to the new realities of mechanized warfare.

Rather than starting from a clean-sheet armored vehicle design, Holt engineers based the tank on a heavy tractor chassis. The vehicle used an experimental gas-electric drive system, in which a gasoline engine powered an electric generator that, in turn, drove electric motors connected to the tracks. While innovative, the system proved complex, heavy, and unreliable under field conditions. Despite producing approximately 90 horsepower, the tank struggled to move its 25-ton weight efficiently.

During U.S. Army trials, the Holt Gas-Electric demonstrated the challenges facing early American tank development: overheating, mechanical failures, poor mobility, and limited tactical usefulness. As a result, the vehicle was rejected, and the United States instead turned to licensed British and French designs while developing its own doctrine and engineering expertise.

Although it never entered service, the Holt Gas-Electric occupies a crucial place in armored history. It represents the United States’ first serious step toward indigenous tank design and highlights the trial-and-error process that all early tank-producing nations experienced during the Great War.

This is a 1/35 scale resin model, capturing the utilitarian, riveted construction and exposed mechanical features of the prototype. The finish reflects its experimental nature rather than a combat-deployed vehicle, emphasizing its role as a technological stepping stone rather than a battlefield machine.